Fluid distribution system



Feb. 9, 1937. c, R, ALDEN 2,069,744

FLUID DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM Filed Jan. 16, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 1' 35 I Inverfla Car r612 Ru llden 0. R. ALDEN Feb. 9, 19 37.

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INJEC l zka Pvt/up r6444 Patented Feb. 9, 1937 UNITED STATES 7 2,069,744 FLUID DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM Carroll B. Alden, Detroit, Mich, assignor to Ex- Cell-O Aircraft & Tool Corporation, Detroit, Mich a corporation of Michigan Application January 16, 1932, Serial No. 587,003

24 Claims. (Cl. 123-138) The present invention relates generally to improvements in fluid distribution systems, and more particularly to systems adapted for the distribution and/or injection of fuel in internal combustion engines.

The present system is of the general type in which fluidis distributed to one or a plurality of discharge valves, and in which each valve comprises a casing having a discharge orifice and 10 two pressure chambers, and a fluid-pressure-responsive valve member in the casing having op-,

posed pressure areas exposed respectively in the pressure chambers, and being adapted to be acted on by a pressure difierential that is reversible in direction so as to effect alternate opening and closing of the orifice.

One of the primary objects of the present invention resides in the provision of a novel system of the foregoing type having a plurality of discharge valves with one set of pressure chambers in uninterrupted communication and adapted to be served by a common fluid line, and with the other set of pressure chambers served respectively by independent fluid lines.

Other objects relate to a new and improved system in which the pressure chambers with the common. fluid line open respectively to the discharge orifices of the corresponding valves, and

in which the common line and the independent lines are controlled by a common distributor for effecting the desired pressure fluctuations.

In its more limited aspects, the invention contemplates the provision of a source of pressure fluid under a relatively high pressure and another source of pressure fluid under a relatively low pressure, and means for connecting these sources respectively and reversibly to the opposed pressure chambers of each valve so as to effect the opening and closing movements of the valve member.

In internal combustion engines, and particularly Diesel engines, dribbling of fuel from the valve into the cylinder, at the start and also at the cut-off of the fuel injection period is highly objectionable in that it results in inefllcient and inaccurate control of the volume of fuel injected, particularly at idling speeds, and in poor atomization of the fuel. Any fueldribbllng from'the valve into the cylinder enters the latter in relatively large globules which penetrate the compressed charge of air very poorly and which burn slowly, thus causing a. lag in ignition and incomplete combustion. Dribbling is caused by sluggish opening and closing of the injection valve 5 which in-turn results from throttling of fuel in the fuel lines. Where two pressures acting on the opposed areas of the valve member are reversibly transposed to efiect movement of the valve member from one position to the other,

such throttling will occur when the transposi- 5 tions are effected simultaneously.

"An object of the present invention therefore resides in the provision of a novel fluid injection system comprising a fluid actuated valve in which the valve is quickly opened and quickly seated, 10 thus preventing dribbling and all attendant disadvantages, and resulting in an injection period with sharply defined limits-permitting of a fine and accurate control of the amount of fuel supplied. I accomplish the foregoing object by pre- 15 venting throttling of the fuel to the discharge end of the valve at the time the injection starts, and by preventing throttling of the fuel to the opposite end of the valve when the injection is being cut-off. 20

Another object is to provide a new and improved fuel injection system 'of the foregoing character for internal combustion engines which is adjustable to vary the duration of injection while maintaining constant the time in the crank 25 shaft rotation when injection commences.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a fluid injection system embodying the features of my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged axial sectional view. of one of the injection valves.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the valve.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged axial sectional view of 35 the distributor.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of the distributor taken along broken line 5-5 of Fig. 4 which through the rotor is in an elevated plane.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary diagrammatic view of 40 the system showing a development'of the distributor casing in full outline, the tube connections thereto including the injection valves, and a fragmentary development of the rotor in section superimposed on the development of the cas- 5 ing, with the rotor adjusted axially for full open throttle operation.

modifications and alternative constructions, I have shown in the drawings and will herein describe in detail the preferred embodiment, but it is to be understood thatI do not thereby intend to limit the invention to the specific form disclosed, but intend to cover all modifications and alternative constructions falling within the spirit andscope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

The present system is adapted in its broadest aspects to effect the injection or distribution of fluids for various purposes. However, for purposes of illustration, it is herein disclosed as a fuel injection system for Diesel engines for which it is especially suited. j

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the system constituting the exemplary embodiment-of the invention is applied to an engine having a plurality of cylinders, two in the present instance, of which only one is shown. Each cylinder comprises a cylinder body 20 provided with a removable cylinder head 2|, and with suitable air inlet and exhaust valves (not shown). A piston 22 is slidably disposed in the cylinder 20 and is connected through a rod 23 to a crank shaft 24. The piston 22 is so related to the cylinder 28 that at the end of the compression stroke, a high degree of compression will be obtained in the initially small combustion space 25 underlying the cylinder head 2l.

Any desired number of fuel injection valves may be provided, and in the present instance two valves 26 and 21, one for each cylinder, are shown. Each valve is mounted in any suitable position, as for example in the cylinder head 2| to discharge a jet of fuel into the combustion space 25. Preferably, the valves are alike in construction, and hence a' detailed description of the valve 26- will suflice for both. a

The valve 26 in its, preferred form (see Figs. 2 and 3) comprises a casing 28 which is formed with a bore 29 opening at one end through one or more discharge orifices 30. Formed in the cylinder head2| and communicating through an opening 3| with the interior of the engine cylinder 20 is a well or recess 32 in which thedischarge end of the casing 28 is securely held in seated relation as by means of a clamp 33 with the orifices 30 opening to the combustion space 25.

A valve plunger or piston 34 is slidably disposed in the casing 28, and is formed on its inner end with a valve member 35 adapted to coact with a valve seat 36 of a somewhat smaller diam-' eter than the bore 29 and communicating with the discharge orifices 30. It will be evident that the plunger 34 defines a pressure chamber 31 in the outer end of the bore 29, and a fuel chamber 38 in the inner end of the bore adapted to be 'brought into communication with the discharge orifices 30 when the valve member 35 is raised off its seat 36, and that the inner end of the plunger- 34 when the valve'member 35 is raised from its seat 36 represents a total effective area exposed to the pressure in the fuel chamber 38 equal to that of the opposite end, and when the valve member is seated represents an area reduced in effectiveness by the area of the seat 36, thus constituting the valve 26 one of the differential type.

The casing 28 is formed with two passages 39 and 40 leading respectively to the opposed chambers 31 and 38. A plurality of independent conduits or tubes 4| and 42 defining flow passages are connected respectively to one set ofthe passages 39 and 40, and a single common conduit or tube 43 defining a flow passage is connected through branches respectively to the other set,

of passages, of the valves 26 and 21. In the present instance, the tubes 4| and 42 are connected in uninterrupted communication.

Means'is provided for producing suitable timed pressure fluctuations in the tubes 4|, 42 and 43 so as to effect successive operation of the valves 26 and 21. While the nature and sequence of the cyclic pressure fluctuations may be varied in some respects without departing from the broad scope of the invention, in the present instance, the valves are seated by a relatively high pressure in the pressure chambers 31 while the feed tube 43 and the feed chambers 38 are at a relatively lower pressure. To effect opening of the valves, the feed tube 43 is periodically brought up to the high pressure, and during such successive pressure rises, the pressures in the control tubes 4|and 42 ed to be reversibly connected by means of a distributor 44 to the control and feed tubes of each valve. In the present instance, the high pressure source comprises a closedcontainer 45 having an inlet tube 46 and an outlet tube 41. The inlet tube 46 is connected to the discharge of a suitable pump 48 taking fuel through a tube 49 from a supply reservoir 50, and has a branch tube 5|, in which an adjustable pressure relief valve 52 is interposed, for returning excess fuel delivered by the pump to the reservoir so as to maintain a substantially constant high pressure in the container 45. Likewise, the low pressure source comprises a closed container 53 having an inlet tube 54 and an outlet tube 55. The inlet tube 54 is connected to the discharge side of a suitable pump 56 also taking fuel from the supply tube 49, and has a branch tube 51, including a low pressure adjustable relief valve 58, overflowing to the reservoir 50 for maintaining a substantially constant pressure in the container 53.

Referring to valve 26, it will be evident that when the control tube 4| is connected to the high pressure tube '41, and the feed tube 43 is connected to the'low pressure tube 55, the valve member 35 will be seated, and when these connections are transposed, the valve member will rotor 6| is in the'form of a shaft projection which extends through the housing 62 and is connected through meshing spiral gears 63, 64 and 65 to the crank shaft 24. To afford means for.

adjusting the angular phase relation of the rotor 6| to the crank shaft 24, the gear 63 is splined on the rotor shaft for axial adjustment through the medium of a hand actuator 66; The 'rotor 6| is adapted to be adjusted axially, as desired, by'means of a rack 61 and sector 66 operatively connected to a hand actuator 69.

The operative end of the rotor 6| is reduced in diameter, and is formed with two longitudinally spaced peripheral vanes 18 and 1| closely contacting with the interior of the casing 58 and defining an intermediate peripheral space 12. Preferably, end peripheral spaces 13 and 14, interconnected by a duct 15, are also formed at opposite sides of the' space 12.

The high pressure tube 41 is connected to the casing 58, and communicates through a port 16 with the intermediate space 12, thus constituting the latter an area of high pressure. Similarly, the low pressure tube is connected to the casing 59 in a difierent transverse plane, and communicates through a port 11 with the end space 13, thus constituting both end spaces 13 and 14 areas of low pressure.

The rotor vane 10 is formed with a longitudinal triangular ofiset portion consisting of a leading land 18 and a trailing land 19. These lands define a triangular projection 80 of the low pressure space 14 into the high pressure range. Opening to the interior of the casing 59 in a single transverse plane intersecting the lands 18 and 19 for all positions of axial adjustment of the rotor 6| are two uniformly peripherally spaced ports which are connected respectively to the control tubes 4| and 42 for the valves 26 and 21. It will be evident that upon rotation of the rotor 6|, the set-ofi portion of the vane 10 will coact in uniformly timed sequence with the ports 8| and 82 to connect each port for a short time to the low pressure projection 88 and for a comparatively long time to the high pressure space 12. The period of pressure reduction is subject to variation through axial adjustment of the rotor 6|.

The rotor vane 1| is likewise formed to cause the high pressure space to project in part into the range of the low pressure space 13. Since a single feed tube43 is provided for the valves 26 and 21, the vane 1| is formed with two uniformly peripherally spaced triangular offset portions which are adapted to coact alternately in uniformly timed sequence with a feed port 83 connected to the tube 43, and which comprise respectively leading lands 84 and 85, trailing lands 86 and 81, and high pressure area projections 88 and 88. Thus, the feed tube 43 is periodically connected for a short time to the high pressure, and during alternate periods of a comparatively long time is connected to the low pressure. The period of pressure rise is subject to variation through axial adjustment of the rotor 6|.

The pressure projection 86 and ports 8| and 82 are so related in angular phase to the projections 88 and 89 and the port 83 that the pressure impulses in the tubes 4| to 43 will effect the necessary reversals in pressure differential to actuate the valves 26 and 21. In the present instance, all of the ports 8| to 83 are located in one axial plane, and two of the pressure projections, namely 86 and 88, are substantially longitudinally alined.

One of the features of the invention resides in avoiding simultaneous transposition of pressures in the control and feed tubes so as to prevent dribbling and insure quick opening and closing, and positive seating of the valves. This isaccomplished in the present instance by locating the pressure projections 81 and 88 somewhat in advance of the projection 80. As a result, the

high pressure will be established in the feed tube that there will be no appreciable throttling of fuel across the port 83 while the valve is opening and the valve will be opened quickly. Preferably, the trailing lands 86 and 81 are greater in width than the land 19 by an amount sufficient to ensure opening of the control port to the high pressure before opening of the feed port 83 to the low pressure so as to prevent appreciable throttling across the control port" while the valve is closing and to effect a quick and positive seating of the valve. This construction prevents pressure surging or momentum since each end of the valve is charged with high pressure before movement of the valve member is instituted.

Preferably, the leading lands 18, 84 and 85 are parallel to the rotor axis while the trailing lands 19, 86 and 81 are inclined so that, subject to adjustment of the gear 63 to vary the phase relation to the crank shaft 24, the start of each period of injection will always be the same regardless of the duration.

The operation, which is illustrated diagrammatically inFigs. 6 and 8, is as follows: With the rotor adjusted'for full load operation and the ports 8| and 83 in position I (see Fig. 8), the control tube 4| is connected to the high pressure space 12 and the feed tube 43 is connected to the low pressure space 13, and hence the valve 26 is closed.

In position II, the port 83 is opening to the high pressure space 12, thus efiecting a pressure increase along line ai--b in the feed tube 43, but

the valve 26 remains closed since the high pressure is still impressed in the tube 4| and since the efiective valve pressure area at the feed end is reduced by the size of the orifice 38. This prepares the feed tube 43 for injection so as to prevent the building up of pressure and hence throttling across the port 83 while the valve is opening. V

In position III, the port 8| is opening to the low pressure space 14, thus causing a pressure drop along line c-d in the control tube 4|. Since the feed tube 43 is already under high pressure, the valve 26 opens sharply, and institutes the injection of fuel, as indicated at c'd The injection of fuel continues at the full rate along line d'-e' until in position IV the feed port 83 is cut ofi at e from the high pressure space 12 by the land 86.

In position V, the control port 8| is opening to the high pressure space 12, thus eflecting a pressure increase along line fg in the control tube 4| but since the feed tube 83 has not as yet been connected to the low pressure space 13','the valve 26 remains open, and injection continues at a slightly diminishing rate along line e--h'.

In position VI, the feed port 83 is opening to the low pressure space 13, thus causing a pressure drop along line h--i. Since the control ti'be 4|, because of the preparatory transposition of connections, is under the high pressure, the valve 26 now closes and is firmly seated, and injection is cutoff along line h-i'. Where in a modification the trailing lands 86 and 81 are of the same width as the land 18 so that the rear edge is advanced to the dotted position indicated in Fig. 8, the feed tube 43 will be connected to the low pressure before the control tube 4| or 42 is connected to the high pressure, thereby resulting in a slight drop in the rate of injection just before the valve is closed.

Subsequently, the foregoing operation, but involving the pressure area projections 80 and 89, will be repeated for the valve 21. It will be understood that the control tubes ll and 42 are alternately subjected to cyclic pressure fluctuations, but that the feed tube 43 is subjected to cyclic pressure fluctuations with each control tube.

The duration of injection is subject to control by adjusting the axial position of the rotor 6|. For idling injection (see Fig. 8) the port 03 opens to the space 88 in position VII, is cut of! in position IX and opens to the low pressure space 13 in position XI to stop injection and the port 8| opens to the low pressure space 80 in position VIII to start injection and opens to the high pressure space 12 in position X. The pressure fluctuations in the tubes II and 43 are indicated respective y by the line a", b", e", h and i and the line 0'', d", f" and g", and the rate of injection is indicated by the line 0'', d, e', h!!! ill).

The height of rise of the valve plungers 34 may be relatively adjusted to cause all the valves to inject at the same rate.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a fuel injection system, in combination, a plurality of injection valves, each valve having a discharge orifice, and a pressure responsive valve member with an inner pressure face acting in a direction to open said orifice and an outer pressure face-acting in the opposed direction to close said orifice, a single line defining a flow passage for a fluid under pressure and being in constant communication with said inner faces, indepedent lines defining flow passages for fluid under pressure and being in communication respectively with said outer faces, and means for effecting relative pressure fluctuations in said lines to cause successive actuation of said valves.

2. In a fuel injection system, in combination, a plurality of injection valves, each valve comprising a casing having a feed chamber opening to a discharge orifice and having a pressure chamber, and a valve plunger reciprocable in said casing for controlling said orifice, said plunger having opposed pressure faces exposed respectively in said chambers, a common feed conduit defining a flow passage for a fluid under pressure and being connected continuously to said feed chambers, a plurality of independent control conduits defining flow passages for fluid under pressure and being connected respectively to said pressure chambers, and means for efiecting relative pressure fluctuations in said conduits to cause opening and closing of said valves. a

3. In a fuel injection system, in combination, a plurality of injection valves, ea'ch valve comprising a casing having a feed chamber opening to a discharge orifice and having a pressure chamber, and a valve plunger reciprocable in said casing for controlling said orifice, said plunger having equal opposite inner and outer ends exposed respectively in said chambers, the effective pressure area of said inner end in said feed chamber when said plunger is seated being reduced by the area of said orifice, a common feed conduit adapted to contain a fluid under pressure and connected to said feed chambers, a plurality of independent control conduits'defining fiow passages for fluid under pressure and being connected respectively to said pressure chambers, and means for effecting pressure fluctuations successively in said control conduits.

4. In a fuel injection system, in combination, a plurality of injection valves, each valve comprising a casing having a feed chamber opening 1 reduced by the area of said orifice, a common feed conduit adapted to contain a fluid under pressure and being connected to said feed chambers,

a plurality of independent control conduits defining flow passages for fluid under pressure and being connected respectively to said pressure chambers, and distributor means for periodically effecting a pressure fluctuation in said feed conduit and successively pressure fluctuations in said control conduits in timed relation to the fluctuations in said feed conduit to cause successive actuation of ,said valves.

5. In a fuel injection system for a multi-cylinder engine, in combination, a plurality of fuel injection valves one for each engine cylinder, each valve having a discharge orifice and a pressure responsive member with inner and outer pressure'faces, said inner pressure face controlling said orifice and being reduced in effective area thereby when seated, means establishing intercommunication between the inner valve faces and adapted to contain a fluid under pressure, a plurality of conduits defining flow pas- ,sages for fluid under pressure and being in communication respectively with the outer valve faces, and distributor means for directing fluid under pressure into said conduits in predetermined sequence and for sequentially reducing the pressure on the fluid in said conduits to effect successive operation of said valves.

6. Means for operating a fuel injection valve of an internal combustion engine, comprising,

in combination, a casing, a pressure responsive member movable in said casing and controlling the valve, two fuel passages opening into said casing respectively at opposite sides of' said member, a source of fuel under a high pressure, a source of fuel under a relatively low pressure, and means operable to connect said sources respectively with said passages to locate said member in one position and on occasion to simultaneusly subject the fuel in both of said passages to the pressure of the same source and to subsequently transpose the respective initial connections of said sources with said passages to locate said member in the other position with a rapid positive movement thereof.

7. Means for operating a fuel injection valve of an internal combustion engine comprising, in combination, a valvev cylinder communicating at one end with the injection valve passage, a piston reciprocable in said cylinder and carrying the valve for opening and closing said passage, .a feed conduit communicating with said cylinder at one side of said piston and adapted to supply ,liquid fuel to said cylinder for discharge through said passage when said valve is opened by the fuel pressure, a control conduit communicating 2,069,744 feed conduit,and thenof said control conduit to effect opening of said passage.

8. Means for operating a fuel injection valve of an internal combustion engine comprising, in combination, a valve cylinder communicating at one end with the injection valve passage, 9. piston reciprocable in said cylinder and carrying the valve for opening and closing said passage, a feed conduit communicating with said cylinder at one side of said piston and adapted to.

connecting said high and low pressure sources on occasion respectively to said control and feed conduits to close said valve passage, and for transposing the connections with said sources first of said feed conduit, and then of said control conduit to effect a pressure reversal on said piston so as to open said passage, and then again transposing the connections with said sources first of said control conduit and then of said feed conduit to reclose said passage.

9. Means for operating a fuel injection valve of an internal combustion engine comprising, in combination, a valve cylinder communicating at one end with the'injection valve passage, a piston reciprocable in said cylinder and carrying the valve for opening and closing said passage, a feed conduit communicating with said cylinder at one side of said piston and adapted to supply liquid fuel to said cylinder for discharge through said passage when said valve is opened by the fuel pressure, a control conduit communicating with said cylinder at the other side of said piston, a source of fuel under a substantially constant high pressure, a source of fuel under a substantially constant relatively low-pressure, and means driven by the engine for connecting said high and low pressure sources on occasion respectively to said control and feed conduits to close said valve passage, and for transposing the connections with said sources first of said control conduit and then of said feed conduit to reciose said passage, and means for varying the time interval between opening and closing of said passage while maintaining fixed the point in theengine operation at which the valve is opened.

10. In a fuel injection system, a fluid distributor having, in combination, a cylindrical casing, an axially shiftable rotor in said casing, said rotor having in one transverse plane in its periphery a plurality of high pressure spaces and a plurality of alternate low pressure spaces, and having in another transverse plane a single low pressure space and a high pressure space, a single conduit opening into said casing in the path of said' first mentioned high pressure spaces, and a plurality of conduits equal in number to said high pressure spaces and opening in a single transverse plane into said casing space.

11. In a fuel injection system, a fluid distributor having, in combination, a cylindrical casing,

an axially shiftable rotor in said casing, said 7 rotor having two axially spaced peripheral vanes defining an intermediate pressure space and a said intermediate space, one of said vanes being formed with an offset angular portion-defining a projection of said intermediate space into said second space, and theother of said vanes being formed with an offset angular portion defining a projection of said second space into said intermediate space, each projection having one land parallel to the rotor axis and the other land inclined to said axis, a low pressure fluid conduit opening to one of said spaces, a high pressure fluid conduit opening, to the other of said spaces, and two conduits opening into said casing respectively in the paths of said space projections.

12. In-a'fuel injection system having a discharge valve with a fluid pressure responsive valve member with oppositely acting pressure faces, and conduits communicating respectively with said faces, in combination, a cylindrical casing, an axially shiftable rotorin said casing,

said rotor'having two axially spaced peripheral vanes defining an intermediate pressure space and a second pressure space open at opposite sides of said intermediate space, one of said vanes being formed with an offset angular portion definin a projection of said intermediate space into saidsecond space, and the. other of said vanes being formed with an offset angular portion defining a projection of said second space into said intermediate space, each projection having a leading land parallel to the rotor axis and a trailing land inclined to said axis, a

low pressure fluid conduit opening to one of said spaces, a high pressurefluid conduit opening to the other of said spaces, and two ports adapted space projections, the relation of said projections respectively to said two last mentioned ports diflering in angular phase.

13. In a fuel injection system, a fluid distributor. having, in combination, a cylindrical casing, an axially shiftable rotor in said casing, said rotor. having two axially spaced peripheral vanes defining an intermediate high pressure than said leading lands, a low pressure fluid conduit opening to one of said lowpressure spaces, a high pressure fluid conduit opening to said high pressure space, a single feed conduit opening into said casing in the path of said high pressure projections, and two uniformly spaced control conduits opening in a single transverse plane into said casing in the path of said low' pressure projection, all of said conduits opening to said casing in the same axial plane, said low pressure projection lagging said, high pressure projections in angularphase.

14. In a fuel injection system, a fluid distributor having, in combination, a cylindrical casing, an

axially shiftable rotor in said casing, said rotor having two axially spaced peripheral vanes 'defining an intermediate high pressure space and opposite end low pressure spaces, said end pressure spaces being in intercommunication, one of said vanes being formed with a plurality of uniformly peripherally spaced offset angular high pressure projections into the adjacent low pressure space, and the other of said vanes being formed with a single offset angular low pressure projection into said intermediate space, each projection having'a leading land parallel to the rotor axis and a trailing land inclined to said axis, a low pressure fluid conduit opening to one of said low pressure spaces, a high pressure fluid conduit opening to said high pressure space, a single feed conduit opening into said casing in the path of said high pressure projections, and a plurality of uniformly spaced control conduits equal in number to said high pressure projections and opening in a single transverse plane into said casing in the path of said low pressure projection, the relation of said low pressure projection to said control conduits lagging in angular phase the relation of said high pressure projections to said feed conduit.

15. In. a fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine, in combination, a plurality of injection valves, each valve comprising a feed chamber having a discharge orifice, and a pressure chamber, a reversibly movable pressure responsive member having oppositely acting lifting and seating pressure faces exposed respectively in said feed and pressure chambers, and a valve member movable with said pressure responsive member for opening and closing said orifice, the effective area of said lifting face when said orifice is closed being less than that of said seating face, a common feed conduitconnected continuously to said feed chambers and establishing constant intercommunication therebetween, a plurality of independent control conduits connected respectively to said pressure chambers, means for supplying fluid under pressure to said common feed conduit, and means normally supplying fluid to said control conduits under suificient pressure to overbalance the lifting pressure in said feed chambers'and being operable periodically to reduce and then reestablish the pressure sequentially in said control conduits to effect successive operation of said valves.

16. In a fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine, in combination, a plurality of injection valves, each valve comprising a feed chamber having a discharge orifice, and a pressure chamber, a reversibly movable pressure responsive member having oppositely acting lifting and seating pressure faces exposed respectively in said feed and pressure chambers, and a valve member movable with said pressure responsive member for opening and closing said orifice, the efiective area of said lifting face when said orifice is closed being less than that of said seating face, a common feed conduit connected to said feed chambers and establishing constant intercommunicatio'n thcrebetween, a plurality of independent control conduits connected respectively to said pressure chambers, a source of fluid under a relatively high pressure, a source of fluid under a relatively low pressure, means driven by the engine for connecting saidsources alternately to said feed'conduit, and means driven by the engine for normally connecting said high pressure.

source to said control conduits and for connecting said control conduits in sequence to said low pressure source during predetermined periods respectively overlapping the successive periods during which said feed conduit is connected to said high pressure source to effect sequential operation of said valves, the changes in the connections of said sources to the respective feed and control conduits for each valve occurring at different times.

17. In a fuel injection system, in combination, a fluid distributor comprising a cylindrical casing, an axially shiftable rotor in said casing and having two axially spaced peripheral vanes defining an intermediate pressure space and an end pressure space, one of said vanes being formed to define a projection of said intermediate space axially of said rotor, and the other, of said vanes being formed to define a projection of said end space axially of said rotor into the peripheral range of said intermediate space, a low pressure fluid conduit opening to said end space, a high pressure fluid conduit opening to said intermediate space, said projections having controlling edges spaced peripherally of said rotor, an injection valve having a casing, a pressure responsive member reversibly movable in said valve casing, a discharge orifice and a valve member movable with said pressure responsive member for controlling said orifice, and two conduits connected to said valve casing respectively at opposite sides of said pressure responsive member and opening into said cylindrical casing respectively in the paths of said projections.

18. In a fuel injection system, a fluid distributor having, in combination, a cylindrical casing, an axially shiftable rotor in said casing, said rotor having two axially spaced perpheral vanes defining an intermediate high pressure space and opposite end low pressure spaces, one of said vanes being formed with a plurality of uniformly peripherally spaced oflset high pressure projections extending into the peripheral zone of the adjacent low pressure space, the other of said vanes being formed with a single oflset low pressure projection extending into the peripheral zone of said intermediate space, a source of fluid under a relatively low pressure opening to said end spaces, a source of fluid under a relatively high pressure opening to said intermediate space, a single feed conduit opening to said casing in the path of said high pressure projections, and a plurality of control conduits equal in number to said high pressure projections and opening-in a single transverse plane into said casingin the path of said low pressure projection, the relation of said low pressure projection to said control conduits being different in angular phase than the relation of said high pressure projec tions to said feed conduit.

19. In a fuel injection system, a fluid distributor having, in combination, a casing having a here, an axially shiftable rotor in said bore, said rotorhaving in one general transverse plane in its periphery a high pressure space and a low pressure space and in another transverse plane a low pressure space and a high pressure space, a conduit opening into said casing in the path of said first mentioned high pressure space, and a conduit opening into said casing in the path of said last mentioned low pressure space, said last two mentioned spaces being generally in alignment axially of saidrotor and peripherally 01!- set respectively a sufllcient distance with respect to said first two mentioned spaces that'both of said conduits are simultaneously connectzd periodically to spaces of substantially equal pressure for short intervals of time.

20. In a fluid distribution system, in combination, a plurality of discharge valves, each valve having a fluid pressure responsive valve member provided with at least two oppositely positioned pressure faces, each of said valve members being movable to its closed position upon the application of an unbalanced pressure to one of said pressure faces thereof, said one pressure faces constituting a set of pressure faces and each of said valve members being movable to its open position upon the application of an unbalanced pressure to a second of said pressure faces thereof oppositely positioned with respect to said one pressure faces, said second'faces constituting a second set of pressure faces, means including a fluid conduit establishing a constant fluid intercommunication between each of saidpressure faces of one of said sets for directing a fluid under pressure thereto, means including flow passages connected respectively to said valves for successively directing a fluid under pressure to each of said pressure faces of the other of said sets and for sequentially and successively reducing the pressure of the fluid directed to the last mentioned pressure faces to effect pressure fluctuation thereon in timed sequence so as to cause successive actuation of said valves.

21. In a fluid distribution system, in combination, a plurality of discharge valves, each valve having a fluid pressure responsive valve member provided with at least two oppositely positioned pressure faces, each of said valve members being movable to its closed position upon the application of an unbalanced pressure to one of said pressure faces thereof, said one pressure faces constituting a set of pressure faces, and movable to its open position upon the application of an unbalanced pressure to a second of said pressure faces thereof oppositely positioned with respect to said one pressure faces and constituting a second set of pressure faces, means including a fluid conduit establishing a constant fluid intercommunication between each of said pressure faces of one of said sets for directing a fluid under pressure thereto, a plurality of lines defining flow passages for fluid under pressure and in communication respectively with said pressure faces of the other of said sets, and means for effecting sequential pressure fluctuations in the fluidin said lines to cause successive actuation of said valves.

22. In a fluid distribution system, in combination, a plurality of discharge valves, each valve having a fluid pressure responsive valve member provided with at least two oppositely positioned pressure faces, each of said valve members being movable to its closed position upon the application of an unbalanced pressure to one of said pressure faces thereof, said one pressure faces constituting a set of pressure faces, and movable to its open position upon the application of an unbalanced pressure to a second of said pressure faces thereof oppositely positioned with respect to said one pressure faces and constituting a second set of pressure faces, means including a fluid conduit establishing a constant fluid intercommunication between each of said pressure faces of one of said sets for directing a fluid under pressure thereto, means for periodically increasing the pressure of the fluidin said conduit, means including flow passages connected respectively to said valves for successively directing a fluid under pressure to each of the second pressure faces of the other of. said sets and for sequentially and successively reducing the pressure of the fluid directed to the last mentioned pressure faces in timed relation to the variations in pressure of the fluid directed to said pressure faces of said first set to effect pressure fluctuation thereon in timed sequence so as to cause successive actuation of said valves.

23. In a fluid distribution system, in combination, a plurality of discharge valves, each valve having a fluid pressure responsive valve member provided with at least two oppositely positioned pressure faces, each of said valve members being movable to its closed position upon the application of an unbalanced pressure to one of said pressure faces thereof, said one pressure faces constituting a set of pressure faces, and movable to its open position upon the application of an unbalanced pressure to a second of said pressure faces thereof oppositely positioned with respect to said one pressure faces and constituting a second set of pressure faces, means including a fluid conduit establishing a constant fluid intercommunication between each of said pressu'ie faces of one of said sets for directing a fluid under pressure thereto, means including flow passages connected respectively to said valves for successively directing a fluid under pressure to each of said pressure faces of the other of said sets, and means for periodically increasing the pressure of the fluid directed to said one set of pressure faces slightly before each of said successive reductions in the pressure of the fluid directed to said pressure faces of the other of said sets to increase the rapidity of movement of said valve elements.

24. In a fuel feeding system for a multiple cylinder internal combustion engine, in combination, a plurality of fluid pressure operable fuel injection valves, one for each engine cylinder each injection valve having a reciprocable valve member with lifting and seating areas at opposite ends thereof, a plurality of control lines, one for each injection valve, having control ports at one end and opening to said seating areas of the respective injection valves at the other end, a common feed line in constant open communication with the lifting areas of each of said injection valves and having a single control port, a source of fluid under relatively high pressure, a source of fluid under relatively low pressure and means for periodically connecting said single control port with said source of high pressure for predetermined period to charge said common feed line and then alternately connect a control port of a selected control line in a predetermined order to said source of relatively low pressure to vent the pressure from the seating area of the associated injection valve, whereby said valves are opened and closed for a predetermined time and in a predetermined order.

CARROLL R. ALDEN. 

